To Build a Fire
by purpleraincloud
Summary: Another brooding piece. Goku's relationship with his sons. I really need to write something in which there's some action involved. A kick, jab, anything!!


Disclaimer: No ownership. Sad... but true.  
Author's Notes: Setting sometime after Buu... Goku's relationship with his sons. I really need to stop with the sappy endings.  
  
To Build a Fire  
  
"Do I have to go?" Goten asked, watching his father carefully packing their belongings neatly into three small duffel bags. It surprised him that his mother's usually overbearingly protective instincts didn't save him from having to endure another of Goku's forced bonding moments.  
"For the last time... yes. And quit complaining, it'll be fun." Goku replied, not understanding his youngest child's unwillingness to go camping.  
"But... it's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel?" Goten tried desperately.  
"We don't have the Discovery Channel... and if we did... you would never watch it." Goku replied as a matter-of-factly.  
"I could start."   
"You're going... too bad."  
  
There was a sharp, distinct noise outside. Gohan heard it five seconds before his wife did. It woke her instantly as well.  
"What was that?" Videl asked.  
"I don't know," Gohan answered, retrieving his glasses and putting them on. He turned the lamp beside their bed on and sat up. "But I'll go check it out."  
Videl nodded and watched her husband put on a sweater and start to walk out of the room.  
"Be careful."  
Gohan looked back and smiled slightly. "I will." He shut the door behind him.   
  
It had been a month since he had moved in with Videl and Gohan had to admit their lives had settled to become blissfully, normal. At first Gohan expected something to disrupt their peace, another Cell saga of sorts or something... anything... Another Gohan, the perpetual 11-year-old adventurer, was still waiting.  
  
Gohan went deep into the woods. The rustling sounds were getting closer, but Gohan stopped a few yards from approaching the source of the noises. He could see it from where he stood. Goten was running around back and forth restlessly. Beside him someone, probably Goku by Gohan's guess, had erected a tent.  
Goku focused a little harder on the pacing figure of Goten and he managed to spot Goku. Goku looked up abruptly, sensing that someone had honed in on him. Goku probably recognized Gohan's ki because Goku quickly relaxed, smiled even.  
  
"So Goten, I'm going to teach you how to build a fire."  
"Why?"  
"Why?" Goku repeated, as if the question were ridiculous.  
"Yeah, why? I don't need to rub two sticks together to build a fire, tousan. I can use a match... or even a kamehaka."  
Goku laughed as if this were somehow illogical. "Yes, you can do either of those things. But if you can learn another way to do something, shouldn't you? Now just watch."  
Goten didn't get it. He knew his father wanted to get closer to him since Gohan had now married Videl and moved out, but why couldn't he see that he wasn't like Gohan? Much as he admired and respected him, Goten didn't want to be like Gohan. Gohan who had to constantly be worried about something or someone to function normally. Goten preferred a more relaxed, carefree life.  
Goten watched with little interest as Goku's palms wrapped around the middle of the stick firmly and he began twisting it rapidly on the ground.  
  
Gohan remembered a time, not too long ago, when Goku had tried to teach him how to build a fire... but then there was that thing with Vegita... and then Red Ribbon... and Buu.... He lost track of all the crises that pulled him from getting closer to Goku in that conventional way sons did. Gohan sighed inwardly, maybe that was what he was trying to make up now with Goten, he thought.  
The sparks from the stick began to fly, small and quickly dying at first, and then a thin trail of smoke began to rise from beneath Goku's palms. The father smiled in triumph.  
"See? Wasn't that easy?" Goku asked, excited.  
Goten looked around, by now even he had caught Gohan's wandering presence in that little mental radar they all shared.  
"That's great dad." Goten replied, less than truly enthused.  
"I don't know... there's something wonderful about building a fire, you know?"  
Goten picked up a few twigs around him and threw it into the fire. "What do you mean?"  
"Well, it's symbolic, you know. I had a friend that was an Indian once, you know that?"  
"No."  
"Well I was really young and... well, he built a fire after his father was killed. He told me they were symbolic. That when a son builds a fire for his father the father can use it to always find his way back to him. The fire thus symbolizes... well it symbolizes..."  
Goten smiled awkwardly. "I get it dad. You don't have to say anymore."  
"Good..." Goku chuckled softly. "You ready to try it then?"  
Goten nodded confidently. "Sure dad."  
  
Gohan watched the two figures for another minute, not really wanting to let the two of them go, but knowing Videl was at home waiting for him. He turned to walk briskly back to his house.  
"What was it?" Videl asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as Gohan crept back into the bed the two shared.  
"Oh... it was nothing... But I just remembered something..."  
"Yeah?"  
"We should go visit my parents tomorrow."  
"Really?" Videl asked, shocked. "Why so sudden?"  
"Well I just remembered... dad needs to teach me how to build a fire."  



End file.
